YORKTON - A PBR Canada Touring Pro Division event in North Battleford proved to be to the liking of Maple Creek cowboy Jared Parsonage.
Parsonage was in a groove going 2-for-2 to win the Canadian Touring Pro Division’s McDonald’s Colby Cave Memorial PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Classic.
“It was good. It worked out good,” the modest cowboy told Yorkton This Week.
As action got underway in Round 1, Parsonage went head-to-head with Hammer Time (Skori Bucking Bulls), going the distance for a round-winning 84 points.
Then the veteran rider climbed aboard More or Less (Thompson Rodeo Livestock) in the championship round, where Parsonage delivered the high-marked ride of the event, scored 87.5 points, to cement his win.
Parsonage said the bulls made the difference.
“I had a couple of good draws. That was the biggest part of it,” he said.
Parsonage said it’s always a big plus for a rider to score well in the opening round so he can have an early pick among bulls in the pen for the championship round. He added the bulls in the finals generally “buck a little harder” so having a good pick is advantageous.
That said Parsonage said he doesn’t really keep a detailed ‘book’ on the bulls, but instead relies on recent experience.
“As the year goes on you get a sense on them. You’ve seen them enough to kind of know what they do,” he explained.
For Parsonage he tends to like the bigger bulls as they suit his physical make-up allowing him to stay strong on the rope.
Courtesy of the golden finish, Parsonage earned a crucial 62 national points. While he remained No. 3 in the race for the 2025 PBR Canada Championship and accompanying $100,000 bonus, he closed within 246.17 points of No. 1 Dakota Buttar (Eatonia, Sask.).
Buttar went 1-for-2 to finish third, netting 23 national points.
After riding Disco Daze (X6 Ranch Bucking Cattle/Legend Rodeo Stock) for 83.5 points in Round 1, the two-time PBR Canada Champion was bested by Time Marches On (Thompson Rodeo Livestock) in the final round, tossed in a quick 3.65 seconds.
Buttar left North Battleford leading No. 2 Jake Gardner (Fort St. John, British Columbia) by 144 points.
“I’m third,” Parsonage noted, adding “first would be better.”
Gardner, however, was the only other rider to go a flawless 2-for-2, concluding the McDonald’s Colby Cave Memorial PBR Classic second.
The British Columbia native first put points on the board in Round 1 when he covered Last Flight Tonight (Skori Bucking Bulls) for 82.5 points. He then delivered his second qualified ride in as many attempts when he rode Patiently Waiting (Skori Bucking Bulls) for 86 points in the final round.
Gardner left the Saskatchewan event with 45 national points.
As for Parsonage he said he will be focused on consistency as he tries to chase down Gardner and Buttar.
“Just keep strong and winning,” he said when asked what it would take.
Keeping strong can be a challenge in a sport where you are being tossed around by 2,000-pound bulls on a regular basis.
“The health side is a big part of it. Being sore is part of it,” said Parsonage.
So how does he deal with aches and pains?
“I work at home on the ranch and forget about it,” he answered.
The North Battleford win helps at least in terms of mindset moving down the road.
“It always helps when you’re winning. It always helps your confidence,” said Parsonage. “It’s just step-by-step and keep the momentum going.”
